


Death of Me

by crystalsnowflakes



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, First Dates, Fluff and Humor, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26106436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystalsnowflakes/pseuds/crystalsnowflakes
Summary: Boredom can sometimes lead to unexpected outcomes.
Relationships: Yuffie Kisaragi/Reno
Comments: 15
Kudos: 13





	1. Wedding Crashing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hell yeah! Let's go have some fun, Carrot Top!" Yuffie punched the air animatedly.
> 
> Rubbing his temples, Reno cast her a dirty look. "Law enforcements are probably less than five minutes out."
> 
> "What's the fun in hiding in a washroom? Let's go, go, go!"

The constant scribbling of Elena’s pen was the only sound breaking the deafening silence in the new office space. Reno held back another groan of boredom, because the last one had caused a pen to go flying too close to his crotch for comfort. Shifting his body to burrow himself more snugly into the couch with an arm under his head, his aquamarine eyes studied the way his partner held himself—shoulders squared, hands clasped together, head faced forward. He rolled his eyes.

The world was at peace. And while there were always things to do to repay the planet, he found that things were too quiet. And the monotonous routine was stifling.

“When’s Bossman back from the WRO?” he finally asked, his head lifting up slightly to glance over at the clock.

Elena shot him a glare, but didn’t respond. Rude pretended not to hear him.

His head fell back into his arm and he wondered briefly if he should go down to the cafeteria and flirt with that new barista. But even _that_ didn’t appeal to him like it once did. It was always the same scenario. They would always start wary because he was a Turk, but with his persistence, they always fell to his charms sooner or later and he would lose interest.

The sudden synchronized beeps from their phones pierced through the air and Reno practically jumped up from the couch in anticipation. 

“Thank fuck,” he muttered quietly to himself as he pressed on the notification. A photograph of a cloaked figure entering Rufus’ office flashed on his screen. As he ordered Rude and Elena to take the east stairwell, he began making his way toward the west, darting towards the door, rod in hand.

How the hell did someone in a _suspicious_ cloak manage to sneak past the high-tech security system of the newly built Shinra building?

It took mere seconds for him to climb the single flight of stairs and being the first to arrive, his fingers snagged his keycard from his pocket and tapped—a small beep sounded and the light flashed green. He pushed the door with his weapon drawn, his eyes studying the large, spacious and orderly office.

He heard the sound of his partners’ feet echoing behind him.

Nothing was out of place.

Except Rufus’ office chair was turned away from the desk and towards the windows instead, a pair of long legs wearing a familiar pair of boots dangling from one side of the armrest.

Rude made a sound that was halfway between a grunt and a sigh and Reno could read his mind without turning around. _I deal with this shit on a daily basis. I’m done._

And to nobody’s surprise, he heard his partner’s footsteps walk away.

“You’re bored, right?” Elena’s voice rang out and he could hear the amused smile in her voice. “You deal with it.”

“Are you seriously ditchin’ me too?” he asked as he looked over his shoulder with a scowl, holstering his EMR. She was already halfway through the door, waving cheerily at him with her back towards him. “Dammit, ‘Lena.”

This was not what he had been expecting when he received that notification on his phone. This was not the excitement he had wanted to find.

Approaching the desk with his hands combing through his hair in frustration, a sneer on his face, he called out, “What the fuck are you doin’ here, _princess?_ ” He turned the chair around forcefully and was not surprised to see the shit-eating grin on her face or her large brown eyes gleaming with mischief. He sighed as he rolled his eyes. 

“Didya know it only took me half an hour to hack through your piece of shit Shinra tech?” Yuffie asked giddily, her head rolling back as she relaxed sideways into the chair. “Gotta say, Turkey. It’s a pretty nice view from up here.”

“Get outta here, yo,” he grunted, kicking her legs and receiving a glare in the process. “Or I’m gonna sick Rude on you.”

Her girlish giggles filled the empty room shrilly. “Baldy’s too tired of dealing with my shit every night. And he’s too scared of Teef to do anything to me. I’m safe.”

“Seriously. Why are you here? Don’t you needa work?”

She glanced at him, a knowing glint in her eye. “Same reason why you were lounging on the couch.” Her grin widened wickedly. “I’m _bored._ ”

How the hell did she get access to the cameras in their office? He’d have to call Reeve to up their security systems, but he had a feeling nothing would keep her out if she wanted in.

“Did Tuesti kick you out of the building?” Reno snickered, knowing it was a common issue the Commissioner of the WRO had. A bored princess was a danger to be around. Listening to Reeve rant about the ninja whenever they managed to run into each other was always entertaining. But as much as he hated to admit it, she intrigued him and impressed him, even though most of the time, he wanted to wring her neck.

“Maybe,” she answered breezily. Jumping out of the chair, she bounced towards the floor-to-ceiling windows, her face pressed tightly against the glass. He couldn’t wait for his boss to see the oil stains her face left behind.

“Why’re you here, brat?” he asked as he followed along, keeping his eyes glued to her to make sure she wasn’t doing any funny business. He stood a few steps behind, slouched with his hands in his pockets. Part of him was tempted to grab her wrists and hold them behind her before pressing her tightly against the glass just to teach her a lesson. The other part of him warned him against it because he would get in so much trouble with both Rufus and Reeve.

Diplomatic Immunity. Lucky little shit.

And then moving faster than he could react, Yuffie had turned around and was on her tippy-toes, peering up at him, her eyes dancing and playful and he could feel her breath on his face. Almost stumbling, he straightened himself up and took a step back, cocking his eyebrow and hoping he didn’t look like an idiot.

Her white teeth showed as she flashed him a cheeky grin and her expression made him think of a child who was about to do something naughty. Instantly wary, he shifted his stance slightly and placed his feet farther apart, _just in case._

“Told you. I’m bored,” she said flippantly as she closed the distance between them again.

He looked at her with skepticism and tensed up at the curious look on her face, clearing his throat to give himself a moment to recover. “I don’t believe you,” he grunted out.

“Don’t worry,” she laughed, walking towards the balcony doors. Eyes bright, she cast one last glance over her shoulders at him. “I found what I was looking for.”

And before he could ask what the hell she was looking for, she had bounced towards the ledge and vaulted herself off all thirty stories of the building. A frustrated groan escaped his lips before he could help it and he shuffled back towards the desk, his eyes scanning the papers laid on the table, relieved at not noticing anything out of place. But he knew the brat was good at her job and if she really wanted, he wouldn’t really be able to tell if she swiped anything anyways.

* * *

Reno couldn’t keep his lips from twisting into an expression of distaste as his eyes travelled from the gold-painted sinks to the antique gold mirror in front of him. Everything looked so garish, from the gold light fixtures to the golden wallpaper and it was absurd how bright everything in this bank washroom was. If Rufus hadn't sent him here for a job, he would never come to such a place.

Couldn't Rufus have picked a _normal_ bank like the rest of them?

He dried his hands on a white hand towel and tossed it into the laundry basket before reaching into his inner suit pocket to verify that the manila envelope he had just picked up was still there. Throwing one last look at the tacky washroom, he opened the door to leave, only to feel a weight plowing into his chest unexpectedly and he had to take a few steps back to recover.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," he grunted, attempting to regain his balance with the additional weight.

"Holy shit, Turkey."

He instantly recognized the voice but his mind tried desperately to catch up and understand _why_ she had pushed him back in the washroom. Subconsciously, he thought back to their last real encounter in Rufus' office a few weeks ago. 

"You've got the _worst_ luck," she muttered, pulling herself away from him.

"Me?" Reno growled out with a mixture of disbelief, outrage and anger, "You're the one who ran into me, you little shit!"

Yuffie glared at him, her brown eyes blazing indignantly and she grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket. "I just stopped you from being in the middle of a bank robbery, you jackass."

His eyes narrowed into slits as he debated briefly on killing her for touching his suit, but he pushed the thought away as he focused on what she told him instead. "Bank robbery. Now?" He took a step back and she released her hold on his suit.

Her demeanor changed instantly as she bounced a step away, her eyes shining with exhilaration as she cackled gleefully. "Hell yeah! Let's go have some fun, Carrot Top!" She punched the air animatedly.

He could feel a headache incoming from trying to understand the whiplash of her emotions. Rubbing his temples, he cast her a dirty look. "Law enforcements are probably less than five minutes out. It's the most prestigious bank 'round Gaia."

Yuffie snorted and looked around the washroom, as if seeing it for the first time. "Totes gaudy. Grossness," she said loudly to herself with a grimace and Reno couldn't help but agree with her, not that he would ever admit to _that._ "What's the fun in hiding in a washroom? Let's go, go, go!"

Sighing and knowing he was going to regret this minutes away, he gave in anyways, the gleam of excitement in her eyes infectious. 

“Whaddya have in mind, Princess?” he asked as he double-checked his nightstick and gun, glad that the Turk suit still commanded enough respect that he never got into too much trouble for being armed. 

He glanced at his current companion, surprised that she was still able to carry the unconcealed and massive shuriken. Somehow, that weapon made her look smaller than she already was. She grinned impishly and Reno knew that he wouldn’t like whatever was going to be leaving her mouth, but nonetheless, he crossed his arms and leaned against the tacky sink, one eyebrow raised, ready to listen. 

Walking two fingers on her palm, she explained, “I sneak in, obvs.” She pointed at him. “You go in, guns blazing or mouth running, whichever you prefer and then when their attention is on you...Kapow!”

“Really?” he asked incredulously, “You want _me_ to go in as a diversion while you go kick ass? Can I even trust you?”

“Eh… Probably not.” she responded lightheartedly, “But I don’t want you to die on me yet. Reeve might get a little annoyed with me.”

“Glad to hear that my life depends on how pissed off Tuesti gets with you,” he grumbled bluntly. 

He straightened up and walked towards the door, giving her a quick backward two-finger salute. As the door swung shut, he swore he heard the sound of her giggles and the distinct noise of someone clambering into the ceiling ducts. He wondered idly if that was how she got into the bank in the first place with that colossal weapon.

Their plan went off without a hitch.

He had gone in, running his mouth off and gotten the attention of two of the intruders with a third keeping a close eye, their guns trained on him. It was clear they hadn’t expected anyone to interfere and that they didn’t quite know what to do with him.

Amateurs.

A sudden metallic clanging of the vents was heard and then the nimble ninja had touched down right on top of another intruder, barely fazed by the landing, before she sent her throwing knives flying through the air to disarm the others. He had taken her attack as a cue to neutralize the three enemies closest to him.

The fight had lasted less than five minutes.

By the time the law enforcements had appeared, placed the burglars into custody and gotten his statement, Yuffie had disappeared into the wind. He cursed this new methodical procedure that he had to be a part of because in the olden days of Midgar, he could have walked out, no questions asked.

He wondered why she had been at the bank in the first place.

As he stepped out of the bank, his phone rang unexpectedly, an unfamiliar number calling.

“Reno,” he muttered into the phone, trying to remember where he had parked. His eyes roamed through the streets, hoping to catch sight of his black car.

“You free tonight, Turkey?”

He froze in his steps, flabbergasted that she had somehow managed to get her hands on his number. While he was tempted to ask how, he was too prideful to allow her to know that she had caught him off guard.

"What for?" he asked, both curious and wary. She kept him constantly on his toes everytime she was nearby and he could never quite predict what she was thinking.

Her laughter rang abruptly into the phone and he imagined her being her crazy self on the rooftop of the bank. Turning around to look up, he was a little disappointed to not see her figure waving down mockingly at him. 

"I'm bored," she answered with a childish whine, but he could somehow still hear the grin on her lips.

His fingers dug through his pants pocket to pull out his car key as his mind wandered and he had to admit that those few minutes he had spent with her in the bank was the most excitement he had gotten in a long time. The idea that he would be spending an evening with the spontaneous ninja wasn't as off-putting as he thought. It would likely be more thrilling than the initial bar hopping he had planned for himself.

Wondering if he was about to make a mistake, he took the jump anyways. 

"Time and place?" he asked as he clicked the alarm on his car and started towards the sound.

"Really?!" she questioned, a hint of astonishment in her voice and he felt smug that he had somehow surprised her. "Sweet! Eight o’clock. Restaurant at the Water's Edge Resort. Dress nice.”

His eyebrows rose in surprise and he was glad she wasn’t able to see him. Water’s Edge Resort was a fairly new hotel built right at the most north western part of Edge with a glorious view of the waters. He had no idea the brat had such posh tastes and he felt a flicker of disappointment before he managed to tamper it down. Was this going to end up being a boring ass dinner? 

“I always dress nice, _princess,_ ” he retorted instead.

The shrill sounds of her giggles could be heard before he hung up.

Just as he was opening the door and was about to step into his car, a ping from his cell phone indicated a message and he clicked on the notification. It took him a moment to realize that he was staring at a picture of Rufus Shinra’s office with a manila envelope lying innocently on his desk. The manila envelope that should have been in his suit jacket. Cursing, he reached inside his pocket and was completely unsurprised and yet absolutely frustrated to find nothing. 

Inputting her number into his contacts, he shook his head disbelievingly. He had a feeling he would be seeing a lot more of the ninja brat.

As he stepped into his car, he couldn’t help but feel the amused smirk tugging at his own lips.

“Motherfucker.”

* * *

Whatever he had been expecting, it hadn’t been this. As he stood at the entrance of the restaurant, his eyes studied the lavish wedding decorations and elegant floral arrangements before landing on the welcoming sign. Who the fuck were Elizabeth and Donald? Did the princess bring him here as a _date?_

Fixing his tie and brushing away an invisible speck of dirt off his freshly-pressed suit, he held down the groan of disappointment that threatened to escape his lips. He hated weddings with an absolute passion and he had tried his best to avoid as many of them as possible over the years. A large part of him was tempted to just ditch this evening because this was _not_ what he had signed up for. From what he knew, it didn’t even seem like something she was interested in either, but he clearly didn’t know her as well as he thought he did.

As a matter of fact, where the hell was the brat?

He was ready to turn around and walk away when he caught sight of her approaching. His mouth suddenly felt uncomfortably dry as he watched the green dress sway gracefully, the cut of the dress making Yuffie’s legs look longer than usual, if that was even possible. And while she was never particularly endowed in the chest area, the way the ribbon cinched around her tiny waist more than made up for that. Some of her bangs were clipped back with a single clip as the rest of her short hair framed her heart-shaped face. He noticed she had barely put any makeup on, but his gaze was drawn at the way her expressive eyes shimmered with absolute mischief.

Yuffie bounced over towards him in her heels as she peered up to him with an impish grin, her hands pressing against his chest briefly and he looked down in suspicion. He noticed absentmindedly that even with her heels, his body still towered over her.

She had placed a name tag on him.

“You clean up nice, Turkey!” she squealed a little and then she lowered her voice. “You’re Ethan Bloom and I’m Isla Bloom. For the record, we know the groom, Donald." She started pulling him towards the restaurant and he followed behind, feeling out of his element, and it was not a feeling he felt often.

He cleared his throat, but even so, his tongue felt thick and clumsy in his mouth and he couldn’t understand what it was about her that made him react this way. “You don’t look too bad yourself, babe,” he muttered, and he hoped she couldn’t hear the uncertainty in his voice. “But you realize I don’t work when I’m off the clock, right?”

“This isn’t a job, silly!” she giggled, swatting his arm playfully before she moved closer to his ear. “I just grabbed the first names I saw. You won’t believe how stupid people are, just leaving nametags behind like that.”

He forced himself not to react to how close she was to him but he could feel his pulse racing as he raised his eyebrows as nonchalantly as he could. “We’re crashing a wedding?”

Her widened grin told him all he needed to know and he felt his interest piqued. “You know how to dance, Mr. Bloom?”

He held his hand out to her, a glint of amusement in his eyes as his lips quirked up in a lazy smirk. “After you, Mrs. Bloom.”

Yuffie’s laughter rang loudly and he couldn’t help his own smirk from growing.

Perhaps he _would_ enjoy his evening.

Apparently crashing a wedding and attending one out of obligation was very different. Over the years, he had appeared at multiple weddings, most of them at the instructions of his employer. He had never attended one off the clock as he didn't tend to have many acquaintances who planned to live past thirty, let alone get married. Now that he thought about it, it had never occurred to him until that very moment that he had never received a wedding invitation before.

Whatever grace Yuffie possessed while jumping and twirling when using her weapon with deadly precision clearly hadn't transferred to dancing.

As he watched her arms flail and her legs prance, he couldn't help the uncontrollable chuckles at the sight. She was clearly used to being the center of attention and didn't give two shits about judging eyes. 

"Watchin' you dance is like watchin' Rude flirt with Lockhart."

She paused in her steps for just a moment, lips twitching upwards and eyes shining with playfulness as she responded self-deprecatingly, "Painful and amusing?"

Rude had admired the barmaid from afar for years and when it had been clear to everyone around them that Cloud and Tifa would never be more than what they were, Reno had encouraged his partner to take a leap. Because what was the worst that could happen? He'd been pining after her for over half a decade already. Reno had been there for support and blackmail material and it just happened that Yuffie had been at the bar. She had slid into Reno's booth when it was apparent what Rude's intentions were and they had winced simultaneously when he started stumbling over his words. It was just as well, as Tifa had apparently taken a liking to him over the years.

"Pitiful," he admitted with a roguish smirk and she burst out in cackles, catching the attention of those around them.

A waitress approached with a tray of colourful cocktails and without waiting to hear what it was that was being served, Yuffie said a quick thanks and snagged two to pass him one. It wasn’t the usual type of drink he drank, but this wasn’t the usual type of thing he attended and he wasn’t about to turn down a free drink.

Just as she opened her mouth and was about to say something that he would find no doubt entertaining, a hand laid on her bare shoulder. He watched with interest as she instinctively flinched and her fingers stiffened to grab her absent weapon before relaxing and turning around. Apparently she had just as much trouble as him leaving work behind and he wondered curiously if she had brought any concealed weapons underneath her dress.

“You must be Isla! Donald has told me so much about you!” An older gentleman wearing a fedora spoke. “I’m Raymond.”

Yuffie’s eyes widened like a deer in the headlights for just a split moment before she schooled her features and smiled, taking just a step back away from the man, her sides brushing against Reno’s arm. 

“Hi Raymond,” she greeted brightly, “This is Ethan, my husband.” She tilted her head towards Reno and he, without thinking, wrapped his arm around her waist, before giving a nod. He felt her tense up ever slightly at his touch and his lips quirked up faintly. 

“So what has Donald told you about me? I promise to tell you all his dirty little secrets if you tell me what rumours he’s started about me,” she teased with a wicked glint in her eyes and Raymond laughed heartily.

While he enjoyed the unlimited drinks, what he _really_ got a kick out of was watching Yuffie socialize. She was a social chameleon who knew just what to say to get people to laugh, being careful to never give too much of her own information away. As someone who had attended these functions as a bodyguard, he was simply there to guard his employer. Attending one as a spy, he was usually the one who played the talkative role as his partner stood by his side. This was a nice change of pace and he was enthralled with the stories she made up. It didn’t bother him as much as he thought when he realized he was actually enjoying the time spent with her.

She would have made an excellent Turk, if not for her annoyingly ethical sense of moral.

As the night wound down, they left the hotel and welcomed the mild breeze sweeping through the streets. Yuffie pulled away from his arms, twirling giddily in the middle of the lane with not a care in the world. 

“Didya enjoy your evening, Carrot Top?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with absolute delight.

He didn’t respond, but he suspected that the lingering smirk on his face answered her question because her face beamed up at him.

“Glad you came. There’s not a lot of people who’d be willing to crash a wedding with me,” she giggled.

His gaze stayed on her face for a moment, studying the way the moon illuminated her face, making her doe eyes glow unnaturally bright. 

“You crash weddings a lot?” he asked, not quite understanding why he was so curious about her.

Yuffie shook her head with a shy smile, “It was my first one that wasn’t a mission.” And then she laughed, a finger pressed against her chin as if a funny thought came to her. Her eyes crinkled with mirth. “I went on one with Vince as my husband, and omigawd was it such an awkward night.”

Reno was surprised by the sudden flash of jealousy and he pushed the unexpected feeling away. “Why?” he asked, and just as he was about to elaborate on his question because he didn’t want to hear about her mission with the vampire, she seemed to have understood his ask anyways.

“The thrill,” she explained, grinning. “I’m _so_ bored. Figured I could entertain myself while keeping things legal?”

“I’m not sure breaking into Rufus Shinra’s office _is_ legal,” he muttered, still a little annoyed that she had somehow managed to break through the system without getting caught. They had made a few changes since her last two visits, of course, but he doubted it would keep her away if she really wanted to barge in again.

She smirked at him. “You’re such a sore loser. And my definition of _legal_ is technically whatever doesn’t get me in trouble with Reeve.”

Reno snorted, “I don’t think you’d _ever_ get in trouble with Tuesti.”

It was a well known fact within the employees of both the WRO and Shinra that the Commissioner had a soft spot for the loudmouthed princess, even though he denied it vehemently.

“I _know,_ ” Yuffie admitted, “I mean, he yelled at me a couple of times. But then he felt bad afterwards and treated me to ice cream.” She flashed him a pair of puppy eyes.

Reno felt his heart lurch but he forced himself not to look away. “Does that even work?” he gritted out.

“Yep. At least it does on Reeve. You should try it on him sometime!” she laughed.

“Manipulative little shit,” he drawled and was surprised when her laughter only grew louder.

There was something in the way that she laughed so easily with reckless abandon that made his chest tighten. He knew that she must have been hiding something behind the effortless giggles because it was impossible that she would be able to experience so much and not be tainted. And yet, he couldn’t help but be drawn in by her joie de vivre because it seemed that she had prevailed _in spite of_ everything that life had thrown at her.

He knew he should walk away but he was too much of a selfish ass to do so. 

“C’mon, brat. I’ll walk you home.” At her questioning glance, he explained, “Had too much to drink.” It wasn’t technically a lie because he was sure he was over the legal limit to drive even though he felt fine, but he also realized he wasn’t ready for the night to end.

Yuffie squealed in delight as she clutched both hands onto his arm and started dragging him towards the direction of her apartment. He surprised himself yet again by not pulling himself away and by allowing her to just yank him wherever she wanted to go. His other hand in his pocket, they strolled through the streets, his attention solely on the woman next to him. Her constant rambling filled the silence and he found listening to her prattles relaxing. He responded easily to the conversation, sometimes with snark, and she flung back responses in a similar manner.

The next half an hour walk passed entirely too fast for either of their likings and as they stood at the entrance of her apartment complex, she shuffled her feet, almost shyly. 

He realized it was the first time he’d walk a woman home without having any intentions to sleep with her.

“See ya, brat,” he murmured, cringing inwardly at how awkward it was. This was usually when he swept the woman in his arms and dragged her to bed so he could leave quietly when she fell asleep.

She released her hold on his arm and took half a step back before she looked up into his eyes. The way she bit at her lips made him bite back a groan and he forced himself not to reach out and grab her. This hesitancy was a side of Yuffie Kisaragi he hadn’t seen before. Her eyes shone with slight uncertainty before her nimble fingers grasped his suit to pull him down.

With a surprised intake of breath, he stumbled towards her and there was a moment of stillness as their eyes stared into each other before she leaned upward and grazed her lips against his softly. He let out a harsh breath before threading his fingers through her dark hair, deepening the kiss. Her fingers loosened on his suit as she placed both her hands on his cheeks, pulling him closer.

Her lips made him think of rainbows, laughter and ice cream.

When Reno finally pulled away, the both of them were breathing heavily and he noticed smugly that her swollen lips were parted slightly and trembling. He ignored the way his heart was pounding in his chest or the way his pants were strained tightly against him.

She took a step back from him and tucked her hair behind her ear as she smiled, a pinkish glow on her cheeks. “You uh… You wanna come up for coffee?”

“Not interested in coffee right now,” he responded huskily as he stuck his hands in his pocket and shifted his feet slightly, curious at her next reaction. Would she jump into his arms or kick his ass?

Yuffie let out a sigh of relief and offered a small grin instead. “Oh good,” she said, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “I actually ran out yesterday. But uh, maybe a movie?”

He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle when his suggestive comment flew right over her head. He wasn’t sure if it was from inexperience or nervousness, but he found it almost...endearing? Part of him was secretly glad that she _hadn’t_ taken him up on his offer because he wasn’t sure he even wanted to take that next step.

This hadn’t been what he had in mind when he accepted her obscure invitation this afternoon, but he wasn’t disappointed.

“Lead the way, Mrs. Bloom.”

Her giggles rang and he let her drag him towards the lobby.

He wasn’t ready for the night to end and it seemed like she wasn’t either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was watching ‘The Blacklist’ and one of the couples on there were thrill-seekers...and then this fic was born. Also word vomit happened, as usual <3
> 
> As usual, comments and suggestions are very much appreciated!


	2. Trespassing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small burst of giggles escaped Yuffie's lips. "Don't you needa get changed?"
> 
> Reno snorted, "You just wanna see me naked again."
> 
> Her entire face turned red, but he noticed with interest that she didn't quite deny it.

He let out a groan as he slouched against his favourite office couch, causing Elena, who had been working in complete silence while he was gone, to look up and glare. Rufus and Tseng wouldn’t be back until later in the afternoon and he had completed all the tasks assigned to him for the morning, except for his stash of neverending paperwork that he refused to complete.

He was tempted to go down to the cafeteria to grab a quick lunch, but he knew the new barista was still on her shift and she had been giving him flirty smiles and coy glances lately. He hadn’t even _tried_ charming her the last few times he’d visited, which caused Rude and Elena to look at him strangely. There was no doubt he felt flattered, earning her attention even when he had been downright disinterested. The worst thing was that her interest in him made him feel _uncomfortable._ _That_ had never happened before.

He didn’t know what the hell was wrong with him.

Absently, he pulled out his phone to see if he had received any new messages. He’d be getting a lot of those lately. Despite trying, he hadn’t been able to get Yuffie out of his thoughts since that night two weeks ago. His mind kept replaying the kiss in his head, and not only that, he couldn’t stop thinking about the way she had boldly snuggled up to his side during the movie in her bright green tank top and ratty sweatpants. He’d been so distracted he couldn’t even remember what film they had watched.

One single kiss should not drive him up the wall. Hyperactive ninjas in fluorescent tops and threadbare sweats should not make his chest clench, dammit.

He found that he missed her. He didn’t usually go more than half a week without seeing her since she was a constant presence at the bar, but she’d gone back to Wutai for some duties after their non-date. And Yuffie had taken it upon herself to text him constantly since and he hadn’t discouraged it.

In fact, he had willingly encouraged it by responding with his usual snarky response which, he suspected, she enjoyed a little too much.

He scrolled through their messages distractedly before he turned off his phone, disgusted at himself for acting like a lovesick teenager.

Gritting his teeth, he walked towards his desk and sank into his chair instead, throwing his phone carelessly on his desk. He glanced briefly at the large pile of unfinished mission reports before pulling out the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet and taking out a file. He had had this particular file for years and had never opened it, never finding it necessary or interesting enough. But now…

He flipped it open and the picture of her face appeared and he couldn’t help but notice how much younger she looked in the dated picture. There was nothing remarkable about her and he had always thought she was plain looking—oval face, sharp chin, large doe eyes, thin lips… But it was the mischief in her eyes and the upwards quirk of her lips that held his attention.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Elena’s voice spoke up next to him suddenly and he almost jumped up from his seat in surprise. Tempted to flip the file closed, he suppressed his reflex because he knew she would be nosier otherwise. He was annoyed at himself for failing to notice how close she’d gotten. 

Her eyes scanned the file curiously before she let out a small snicker.

“She got to you too, huh?” Elena was clearly amused and for a moment, his heart jumped to his throat and he wondered how she found out. “I’m surprised it’s taken you this long to think about murdering her,” she chirped, her voice delighted. “She’s nice though, but batshit crazy, right Rude? You spend the most time with her since she’s always at the bar.”

Rude seemed to have known who they were talking about even without a name. Giving the two of them a disgruntled look, he responded while shaking his head slightly, “She makes Reno seem sane.”

Reno let out a small bark of laughter because her insanity made him _feel_ like the responsible one. 

“You know Reeve will kick your ass if you mess with her, right? He’s ridiculously protective of her,” Elena said with a grin on her face. It was clear she was entertained at the idea of Yuffie retaliating to whatever he had planned, although Elena was clearly off the mark.

A sudden beep of his phone indicated an incoming message.

“Who’s ‘Trouble’?” Elena asked curiously, eyes glancing at his phone on his desk.

He grunted in response as he grabbed the phone into his hands, making sure to school his features into a neutral one. He had to try hard to keep his excitement at bay as he opened the message while making sure to hide it from the probing gaze of the blonde Turk.

**_You there?_ **

Reno took a few seconds to debate on whether to respond or not, but before he could even start typing out his response, the phone started buzzing with an incoming call. Eyebrow raising in surprise, he stood up and answered as he made his way towards the balcony.

“You’re kinda impatient, yo,” he muttered, glancing back at Elena’s suspicious look.

 _“Heya! You free on your lunch break?”_ Wherever she was, it was loud. 

Was she back from Wutai already?

Pushing the balcony door open, he braced himself for the cold breeze. “Where're you?”

_“Outside.”_

“Shinra building?” he asked. He knew the answer before the question left his lips, but she responded with a ‘duh’ anyways. “Be down in a few minutes.”

She cheered and he imagined her pumping her fists in the air. _“Meet you at your car!”_

Before he could ask how the hell she was going to get into parkade or how she even knew where his car was parked, he gave up. He had no doubt she knew exactly how to get in and where his car was. She got into Rufus’ office. _Twice._ He could only sigh and wonder what he was getting himself into again. His stomach clenched in anticipation of not only seeing her, but at finding out what she had planned.

Striding back to the office, he grabbed his wallet from the top drawer of his desk and gave the two Turks a quick glance. “Uh… Gonna go on my lunch break. Be back later.”

Elena narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion, but he ignored it, choosing to walk quickly to the elevators instead. He could feel Rude’s inquisitive stare on the back of his head.

It took him less than three minutes to get to his car, but by the time he had arrived, she was already sitting in the passenger seat with a can of pop and two hot dogs in her hands. She was munching on one and as he sat down in his seat, she passed him the other one and he took it hungrily.

When she had finished hers, she popped open the can and took a chug before turning her head towards him, face beaming with glee. “Didya miss me?” she asked, eyes sparkling.

He swallowed the bite before answering, “No.”

“Liar,” she giggled, passing him the pop. “Well, I missed _you.”_

His unfinished hot dog almost fell onto his lap as he cleared his throat and tried desperately to think of a witty comment. His mind flashed back to all the times he checked his phone to see if he’d gotten a message from her.

“It’s hard to miss a headache,” he finally responded as he took a sip from the can before shoving the rest of the food into his mouth.

“Hey! That’s not nice!” she exclaimed with a ridiculously adorable pout. “Admit it, Carrot Top. Your life would be super boring without me.”

He wasn’t going to let her know how accurate she was.

“Now,” Yuffie grinned, patting the knapsack between her feet. “Vroom, vroom, Turkey!”

Starting the car reluctantly and wondering if there really was a point in asking, he did anyways. “Where’re we goin’?”

She directed him towards the more affluent part of town near Water's Edge Resort on the outskirts of Edge. Regaling him with her tales from Wutai, Reno found himself chuckling at the way she described the Emperor and the fights they would have during meetings. He found himself feeling sorry for Lord Godo because his daughter was incredibly stubborn, although she had her heart in the right place. Her travel plan had been so long because she had apparently refused Cid and Reeve’s attempt to give her a ride. He wondered idly if she would accept one from him if he offered, because she’d be away for three days instead of two weeks.

When they finally arrived at their destination, Reno pulled over before letting out an impressive whistle. They were in the upscale part of town where the truly wealthy people lived—away from the busyness, away from the smog, away from the metallic smell of the city.

Stepping out of the car, he couldn’t help but notice the iron gates surrounding the mansions, the perfectly shaped artificial shrubs or the cleanliness of the windows with bitterness. He lived a comfortable life and saw more luxury than many in Edge would ever, but this… This was beyond extravagant.

“You plannin’ to move out of your studio apartment?” he asked, his eyes finally studying her clearly for the first time since they met last. He was tempted to pull her closer to taste her lips and he cursed himself again, not for the first time wondering what it was about her that attracted him so.

She shot him a look of incredulity. “Don’t be an idiot. What the hell am I gonna do with such a big place?”

“So why’re we here?” he asked, but deep down, he already knew the answer.

“I’ve always wanted to go inside one of these…” she trailed off, and then gave him the cheekiest grin he’d ever seen. “Let’s go!” Before he could even respond, she had scampered up the iron gate and gotten on the other side.

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” he muttered as he ran after her. He couldn’t believe how much his heart raced at this simple task of climbing a gate. He’d broken into plenty of places before, but he had never done it for _fun._ “What the hell are you making me do, you brat?”

She laughed giddily as she continued to run past the front lawn before stopping at the door of a side entrance. “What can I say? I’m a terrible influence.” 

He refused to respond. It didn’t merit one.

He noticed with relief that the mansion wasn’t covered by cameras and he knew she must have known that. He wasn’t sure what he would tell Tseng or Rufus if he was caught. 

Rude was right. She made him seem _sane._ And yet, he couldn’t seem to stop running after her.

He watched as her nimble fingers worked to disable the keyless lock with speed as he stood guard, although he suspected she had already canvased the house previously and _knew_ it wouldn’t be occupied. 

She wasn’t an amateur.

But not for the first time, he found it difficult to trust in someone else that wasn't Rude, Tseng or even Elena. He wondered if he would ever trust this loudmouthed ninja as much as he trusted the others. 

As soon as the door sprung open, she had disappeared into the mansion and he had to chase after the sound of her chortles and footsteps to find her. And he had a terrible feeling as she turned the corner and ran straight through a pair of French doors.

Located right by the back of the mansion next to the courtyard was a swimming pool with floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the entire room. She had her back to him, her arms behind her as she studied the potted flowers in the garden through the glass panel, a rare sight for this part of the world. And then eyes shining with absolute mischief, she glanced back at him over her shoulder and he felt his heart stutter in his chest mid-step.

“Oh _fuck no,_ Kisaragi,” he said, keeping his voice as leveled as possible. But even so, he couldn’t help his eyes from roaming her face, partly confused at his own reaction because dammit she was in those ugly khaki shorts and boyish top again and he _still_ couldn’t keep his damn eyes off of her.

She twirled around and pranced over to him and peered up in his face. “Oh _hell yes,_ ” she breathed, her cheeks rosy as her lips quirked up. “C’mon… I’ve heard Turks are fearless and get in and out of tough situations all the time but…” Her eyes glinted with amusement. “If you’re scared…” she trailed off.

She was baiting him, the little chit.

“You’re such a little shit,” he muttered, and before he could say anything else, something hit him in the face and his hands caught it reflexively. It was a towel and a pair of flaming red swim trunks. A snort of laughter escaped him and he looked up to comment, only to freeze.

Her long boots and socks were already in a pile by her feet, but she was bent over, wiggling her shorts off her hips.

“Shit,” he cursed as he looked away, that image seared into his mind. “You’re awfully prepared.”

“Great Ninja Yuffie is _always_ prepared!” she cheered, her fists pumping in the air excitedly. “C’mon, slowpoke. You gonna join me?”

When he glanced back at her, she had already taken her shorts and top off and was in a plain _ugly_ bright orange two piece. She smiled with exhilaration as she dove into the deep end of the pool before her head broke the surface of the water. Water dripping down, she pushed her hair away from her face before wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

Then she gave him another look, cocking her eyebrows. "You scared of the water, you loser?"

"Fuck it," he grumbled as he shrugged off his suit jacket and shirt before taking off his goggles, shoes and socks. After a split second of hesitation, he pulled down his pants and underwear in one quick move before slipping on the trunks.

When his eyes met hers again, her face was bright red and her mouth had dropped open in disbelief and embarrassment.

His lips quirked up into a smirk. "Were you watching, _princess?_ "

"No, you perv!" she shrieked shrilly as she splashed water in his direction. "I would never! Grossness!"

Reno laughed as he jumped into the water.

They lost track of time in the pool, competing on who could keep their heads under water the longest, racing each other and attempting to throw each other under. 

By the time Yuffie pulled herself out, her legs were shaking with exhaustion. She flopped herself on the ground, facing up with a wide grin on her face. "How long's your lunch break?"

Reno pushed himself out of the pool in one smooth motion, dripping wet, his trunks clinging onto his legs as he sat with his knees up next to her. "Not long enough," he grunted as he studied her out of the corner of his eyes.

Her lithe body glistened with water and her chest rose and fell with each heavy breath. His gaze fixed upon her slender neck and thin shoulders before moving up to her face, studying the way her eyes glowed and the way her lips curled upwards. He forced himself to breathe, his chest feeling unbelievably tight.

Her mind must have read his because she sat up, biting her lips nervously and he couldn't hold back his sharp exhale. "I uh…" she started with a small, shy grin, "I really missed you while I was gone." Her innocence stirred something in him and he found himself unable to resist her girlish charms. 

He grabbed her chin gently and turned her face up towards him, smirking as her breath hitched and her eyes darkened. As much as he wanted to just kiss her, he wanted her to know… what exactly did he want her to know? He knew that Yuffie Kisaragi wasn't someone he could just kiss and dump. 

Her eyes studied his curiously, her gaze darting between his eyes and his lips.

"You've crossed my mind a few times.”

"Oh?" she sighed breathily with a tint of longing in her eyes as her face shone with happiness. "Just a few?"

Reno stared at her intensely before he lowered his face to hers, their breaths mingling. "Just once or twice," he lied before his lips touched hers. His hand released her chin as he wove his fingers into her wet hair, cradling her head in his palm. He slanted his mouth over hers to deepen the kiss and she let out a breathless sigh.

Just as he was about to lay her down on the ground, he heard the faint sound of a door opening and closing. He thought he had been imagining it but he felt her lips freeze and saw her eyes widen with shock.

"Shit," he cursed again as he pulled away from her. He cast a quick look around and was glad that everything they would need was just a few steps away.

Yuffie danced away from him as she snagged the towel from the ground and wrapped it around herself. Grabbing her knapsack, she threw it on and quickly held onto everything else she'd need. "Let's head out back the way we came!" she hissed at him. He followed her lead and grabbed whatever he needed after throwing on the towel.

Bolting out of the pool room as quietly and as quickly as they could, they made their way back to the side entrance door. He was impressed that she was able to recall the confusing layout of the mansion so easily. He'd been able to do it, but… he really should stop underestimating her. As soon as they made their way out of the mansion, they beelined past the front lawn, shoved their possessions through the fence and scaled up the barrier before jumping, her landing much more graceful than his.

And then she let out a loud boisterous chortle and he couldn't help but join her. He unlocked the car and they stepped in, both still dripping wet and practically naked. His chuckles were uncontrollable and she dissolved into unrestrained giggles.

When they have both finally calmed down, out of breath from laughter, Reno shook his head disbelievingly.

"You're gonna be the fuckin' death of me, you brat."

She held her stomach painfully as she laughed soundlessly, the back of her hands wiping away the tears from the corner of her eyes. Shaking her head, she leaned her head against the headrest as she bit her lips to attempt to calm down her guffaws.

He couldn't look away from the way her eyes shone with mirth, or the way her lips quirked up, or the way she was so exuberant.

Shaking his head again, this time from his own thoughts, he tried to push away the foreign feelings that were threatening to burst from his chest.

"Where to, Kisaragi?"

She took a few deep breaths before finally calming down, casting an amused glance his way. "Doesn't matter. I'm just planning to head to the bar." A small burst of giggles escaped her lips. "Don't you needa get changed?"

He snorted, "You just wanna see me naked again, yo."

Yuffie's entire face turned red, but he noticed with interest that she didn't quite deny it.

Using the towel as a shield, he quickly wriggled out of his wet trunks, grumbling about getting the company car wet before throwing on his clothes. And then he drove her two blocks away from the bar.

Before she exited the car, she turned around with her trademark impish grin and leaned over, kissing him boldly on the cheeks.

"You’ll be at the bar tonight?" she asked.

He hadn't planned on it, but he found himself nodding before capturing her lips again.

By the time he returned back to the office, an hour late, Rufus and Tseng had returned. They merely looked at his wet hair and unusually crumpled and moist suit with raised eyebrows.

He mustered the biggest scowl he could before telling the truth, knowing none of them would suspect anything. "I ran into a fuckin' ninja," he grunted out as he made his way to his desk.

Elena's chortling rang the loudest with Rufus' chuckles coming in second, although the other two stoic men's shoulders were shaking noticeably.

As he sat down, his eyes trailed back to the picture of _her_ on his desk. His lips quirked up just slightly before he slammed the file shut and threw it back into his file cabinet.

The laughter behind him only grew louder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, comments and suggestions are very much appreciated!


	3. Unlawful Entry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Shut up, Kisaragi."
> 
> Reno could still feel her body shaking from laughter and he shook his head in disbelief. 
> 
> A sudden dampness and warmth in the center of his palm caused him to draw his hand back promptly. "What the _fuck?_ Did you just _lick_ my hand?"

There was something inexplicably thrilling about the brush of her fingers against his as they exchanged documents in their boss’ offices, or the quick press of her lips against the corner of his in locker rooms, or the long, half-hidden kisses in the barely lit back alley of the bar. He found himself looking forward to catching little glimpses of her at work, on routine tasks or even at random dive bars they frequented.

Neither of them cared enough if they were caught and knew it would be inevitable, but even so, the unpredictability and secrecy of it all kept them both on their toes.

She made Reno feel like he was a teenager hiding a relationship from his parents. Except he wasn’t a teenager and his parents were his boss and her boss and everyone in between.

“That girl,” Reeve muttered beside him and Reno refocused himself on the conversation at hand, having zoned out. With his hands on his temples and that sigh, Reeve could only be talking about _one_ person. “One day, she’s going to get herself into trouble she won’t be able to get out of.”

Elena shook with laughter as she put down her cocktail on the table and clasped the Commissioner on the shoulder. “And then you’re gonna get her out of it anyways. Did you know Reno came back to work an hour late from his lunch break a few weeks ago from running into her?” She clutched at her sides, her laughter contagious because it caused the bald man next to her to give just the smallest smirk. “You should’ve seen his face!”

Reno scowled because all it did was make him think of the circumstances of that particular meeting. And then he would imagine her in the practically glow-in-the-dark swimsuit as her soft skin wore a thin sheen of water.

“What happened?” Reeve asked with mirth. “I can’t imagine it was a good run-in.”

Except it was good. And he had enjoyed it entirely too much.

Almost as if she knew she was the topic at hand, the entrance door opened with a loud bang as Yuffie barged in with her usual loud greeting to the barmaid. Their eyes met ever so briefly before her gaze turned to her boss and her lips curved up roguishly. Reeve gave a loud groan as the object of his exasperations flounced over to the fridge to grab a few beers before joining them.

“Wowowowwww!” Yuffie exclaimed with her usual enthusiasm, “What’s the occasion Bossman? You’re here!” And then she put down a few beers on the table, making sure to pass Reno one.

His fingers lingered on the back of her hand for just a moment and his eyes observed the barely discernible blush on her cheeks. A grin teased the corner of her lips as she sat down in the stool next to him, making sure that her long bare leg rested against his.

He wasn’t sure what it was about her that drove him crazy. Keeping his face carefully neutral, he lowered the arm farthest from her under the table as he trailed his calloused fingers over the incredibly delicate skin of her thigh. He heard the soft exhale from her as her legs tensed up and he couldn’t help the corner of his lips from curling up slightly.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you, Yuffie,” Elena said, a hint of laughter still in her voice. “Reno wouldn’t say what you did to get him all wet that afternoon.”

“Wouldya stop askin, ‘Lena?” Reno muttered out roughly as he took a big gulp of his beer with his other hand.

Yuffie giggled. “Sorry. I promised I’d keep a secret.” She gave a wink at the older woman before she pretended to whisper, “Maybe I’ll tell you if Turkey isn’t here.”

Reeve shook his head in disbelief as he said, “Can’t believe you got the drop on Reno.”

“Don’t worry,” Reno grunted out, “I’ll get you one of these days, _princess._ ” And then he drained the bottle before throwing down a few bills. “Gonna head out,” he explained.

Rude looked up in surprise. “It’s still early, Partner.”

Elena checked her watch. “It’s _really_ early. You okay, Reno?”

“Sure,” Reno responded with a smirk, “Just gotta be somewhere.”

“Ooooooooooooooh,” Yuffie burst out with a giggle. “You got a dateeeeeeeeee?” Reno swatted her on the back of the head, earning a small glare from the ninja.

Elena narrowed her eyes at the redhead. “It _has_ been a while since I’ve seen you with anyone.”

Rude lifted his sunglasses to take a better look at his partner.

“I’m leavin’,” Reno said, standing up.

The barstool that Yuffie was sitting on almost fell over as she scrambled off and tugged at his arm. “Hey! Perfect! I need a ride somewhere.”

He tried to shrug her off. “Get lost, brat.”

“No, no, pleaaaaaaaaaaase? I promise I won’t tell 'Lena about how you tried to flirt with the waitress and I—the Great Ninja Yuffie—just happened to there and tried to stop her from making the mistake of a lifetime by telling a teeny tiny lie and she flung a jar of water all over your head!” she blurted out before she slapped her hands over her mouth in embarrassment. “Oops?”

Elena’s shriek of laughter was instantly heard. Reeve coughed a few times in an attempt to mask his laugh.

“That’s not what even happened, you little _shit,_ ” Reno growled out, glaring at her before turning his gaze towards his coworkers, all the while trying to shake her off his arm even more. She was stronger than he’d expected.

“Come on!” Yuffie snickered, “You didn’t lose out on much. She would've dumped your sorry ass after realizing you were such a jerk anyways. Don’t be such a sore loser! I just need a ride!”

Reno ignored her as he continued towards the backdoor of the bar, dragging her along unwillingly.

“Turkeyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Don’t ignore meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

As soon as the door closed behind them, she released her hold on his arm to grab onto the lapels of his suit to pull him down towards her before kissing him greedily. 

He pressed her lithe body against the wall effortlessly before returning the kiss just as fiercely, only pulling away moments later, a little reluctantly. “Someone’s awfully eager,” he commented with a smug smirk.

“You’ve been gone for a week,” she said with a small whine, her eyes fluttering mockingly.

“It was four days,” he snorted before holding out his hand to her. “Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?” she asked, grinning.

His lips widened slyly. “Somewhere you'd consider illegal.”

“Oh, shit," she sighed, "You’re totally gonna get me in trouble with Reeve, aren’t you? Is this retaliation for what I just said to 'Lena?” But she reached for his hand anyways, her eyes so full of mirth and eagerness. 

His hands tightened around hers and it was the first time he realized how _small_ it was. He was surprised to feel the rough calluses on her palms and between her fingers, having expected a royalty's hands to be soft and smooth. He often forgot that the tiny frame belonged to a fully-fledged ninja that could probably kick his ass, not that he would ever admit it.

During the car ride, she asked questions about his brief trip to Junon and he had responded easily. The fact that she already knew all the nitty-gritty details of his job and probably already knew _why_ he had gone all the way was... _nice._ He didn't have to lie or pretend or even give a shitty excuse about the mission being confidential.

As he pulled into a spot by his destination, he realized he had held her hands the entire time.

Yuffie seemed oblivious to his thought as she looked up at their surroundings, a wary expression on her face. "What are you thinking of?" she asked uneasily.

"You _know,_ babe, _"_ Reno murmured with a sideway glance, a lazy smirk on his face. It amused him to see her mouth hanging open in disbelief for a moment before her eyes smoldered with intensity as she shot a glare his way.

"Oh hell no, _Turk,"_ she practically hissed, "I won't just be getting in _trouble._ He's going to be _pissed_ and _fire_ me _and then_ murder me."

He chuckled unsympathetically. "Guess we just gotta be good at what we do, right?"

"I _am_ good at what I do! The best and you know it!" She sounded proud of her accomplishments and he had to admit that she _was_ good at her job. He'd been reading her mission reports when he was avoiding his own paperwork. "My problem is what if Reeve shows up?" she asked, a little hysterical.

Reno shrugged apathetically. "He's at the bar and I'm a Turk. We get in and out of tough situations all the time. But if _Lady Kisaragi_ is scared…"

She scowled, "Don't you dare throw my words back at me, you ass."

He snickered. "Too late. Come on, _princess."_

Yuffie hesitated for a split second before she opened the door and stepped out of the car, leaving her shuriken behind. He followed suit, unable to keep the amused expression off his face. Grabbing his suitcase from the trunk, he stepped closer to her and she instinctively lifted her face to look at him.

“You’re gonna get me in soooooooo much trouble,” she said as she shot him a sad puppy look.

He hated the fact that he couldn’t resist his chest from tightening when she looked at him like that. It was only natural that Reeve let her get away with anything—he understood that now. 

“Didya know they’ve been makin’ fun of me for weeks? I’m sure ‘Lena won’t leave me alone after that bullshit story you fed ‘em today.”

“So this _is_ retaliation!” she screeched, her arm flailing.

“Maybe,” he said, unable to keep the corner of his lips from jerking upwards. Before she could make an absurd amount of noise shrieking again, he held her chin lightly before brushing the delicate skin of her lower lip with his thumb. Her breath hitched faintly and he lowered his lips to hers, barely touching, and he watched her eyes flutter close before he whispered, “Dinner’s in the suitcase. Let’s go.”

And then he pulled away. He could hear her soft groans of frustration behind him as she followed behind.

“You don’t play fair,” she whined.

“I’m a Turk,” he scoffed, “I don’t think that word’s even in our dictionary.”

They strode past the brightly lit entrance of the apartment complex, which he knew for a fact would have cameras pointing directly at the entry. The building itself didn’t look impressive, blending into the steely structures next to it, unassuming. But it was one of the more secure dwellings in the area. Rufus had made sure that if Reeve was going to live in a hovel, it should at least be one that was well-protected. Reeve’s excuse had been that he rarely spent any time away from the WRO building, preferring to spend his nights on the couch of his office.

Reno personally thought the Commissioner needed to get laid more.

Turning the corner, he made sure to walk past the more obscure side entrance at a distance before doubling back and sneaking underneath the camera. It was another security upgrade he would have to remember, if Reeve decided to stay here for a while.

He cast his gaze over his shoulders at Yuffie, his thin lips curling upwards slightly at the flush of excitement on her face and the twinkle in her eyes.

He had to look away.

His fingers found the numbered keypad by the door and he punched in a number he had committed to his memory for years—a loud buzz sounded before the distinct sound of a door unlocking was heard.

“What would you have done if the admin password didn’t work?” Yuffie asked, tilting her head with a small grin on her face.

Reno snorted, “Hotwire the damn thing like you woulda done.”

“I think…” she started before stopping herself mid-way with a hum. “Nevermind. It’s exciting, watching someone else do the work. Didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I do.”

“It’s not fuckin' rocket science,” he said, feeling strangely uncomfortable at her comment as he pulled open the door and walked through, making sure she was still following.

“Nope, it’s not,” she agreed as she followed him up the flight of steps, neither of their footsteps making much of any noise. “We should try something harder next time. Maybe, Rufus’ apartment?”

He froze in his steps before glancing back, “My boss is a lot less merciful than yours.”

"Guess we just gotta be good at what we do, right?" she snickered as she repeated his own words. “Or maybe I can try to get into yours.”

Her suggestion had caused his brain to short-circuit and worst was, he knew she had _no idea_ what could possibly be going through his mind. Groaning inwardly, he pushed the thought and image of her in his apartment away from the confines of his head. He’d let his imagination run wild at a later time, alone, by himself, most likely in a cold shower.

“Stay outta my apartment,” he gritted out forcefully.

She cackled obliviously.

They made their way to the top floor of the apartment uneventfully. Peeking out of the stairwell, he was both relieved and disappointed that there were no cameras in the vicinity. Reeve had always been too trusting, but as the head of the WRO, he really had to be more cautious.

Placing his suitcase down in front of suite 2001, he took out his lockpicks and smirked in satisfaction when the click of the deadbolt was heard after mere moments. Yuffie’s impressed look and quiet squeal of delight _did not_ just cause his heart to lurch.

Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with him?

The look of astonishment and joy on her face was priceless as she let herself into Reeve’s bland and unembellished apartment. She seemed right at home as she flicked on the lightswitch and settled herself comfortably on the empty floor space in front of the living room balcony door.

“No wonder he sleeps in his office,” Reno finally muttered as his gaze finished travelling the living space. “He’s worse than me.”

There was a black loveseat and a small black coffee table in the living room. No television, no frames on the walls, _nothing._ The kitchen itself was bare with the exception of a coffee machine.

“Right?” Yuffie agreed, her eyes still looking out the window, “I keep telling him that. I really like this view though.”

Reno had a much nicer view from the sixteenth floor building of a more affluent part of Edge. In the bright light of the day when the smog wasn’t visible, a glimpse of the ocean could be seen just between a few buildings. He wondered idly if she’d like his view before he pushed that thought away from his mind again.

He sat down and placed the suitcase between them, popping it open and couldn’t help the snort of amusement from escaping when she gasped in excitement.

“Wowowwww…” she said softly, “Sandwiches, cheeseboard and _wine?”_ Her giddiness was infectious and she lifted up two little plastic cups from the suitcase. “I had no idea you were such a _romantic,_ Reno!” she mocked, but the redness of her cheeks and the way her eyes glowed betrayed her happiness.

“I’m not,” he drawled, “Just ordered from a restaurant.”

“Mhmm,” Yuffie grinned as she responded, opening the plastic container of cheese and meats and popping a piece of brie into her mouth. “Most romantic date ever!”

He twisted the cap off the cheap white wine and poured it into the two plastic wine cups. “You must've been on some boring-ass dates," he said with a slight smirk.

She laughed and held out two fingers. “Well I've only been on two. Crashed a wedding and broke into a rich woman’s swimming pool. Not sure if they even counted as dates, to be honest."

His hands stopped midway before staring at her with surprise.

Yuffie shrugged, a little embarrassed. “Lots to do at the WRO, ya know. And well, Wutai tends to take up a lot of my time.” Then she added with a small grin, “Plus, I’m kinda unhinged. Not a lot of people wanna date someone who likes to skirt the law.”

He chuckled, shaking his head, “I’m not sure breakin’ and enterin’ is considered ‘skirtin’ the law'.”

The rest of their conversation drifted to less personal topics as they finished the wine and food, his eyes focused on the dim city lights. Even after all these years, he still couldn’t get used to the lack of the distinct green glow of the mako in the city.

By the time one hour had passed, they had packed up the suitcase, not wanting to push their luck.

Except just as they were about to leave the darkened apartment, the unmistakable sound of the elevator door opening and metal keys clanging could be heard right outside the door. Without pausing, Yuffie grabbed him by the hand and dragged him back towards where they came from. He could barely see anything, but he was glad that she seemed to know the layout of the space, even in the dark.

He heard the faint sound of the front door opening before a creak sounded near him and he realized she had opened up a closet door and had dragged him in with her.

“You realize we’re in a closet with barely any space between us, right?” he asked quietly, shifting backwards to get away from her as far as possible.

He didn’t need to see her to know that she was blushing furiously. She tried to shuffle backwards, but even so, she was mere inches away and he could feel the heat radiating from her body. “You realize my _boss_ is outside and we broke inside his place, right?” she hissed flatly.

"Couldn't have found a better place to hide, _princess?"_

"If I was alone, I would've jumped off the balcony. But I wasn't sure if you were ready to become a pancake just yet, _Turkey."_

The sounds of footsteps approached as the two of them tensed up. As they got closer, Reno realized that it was the distinct sound of hard-sole shoes walking on wooden floorboards. He couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Who the fuck doesn't take their shoes off at home?"

The giggles that bubbled up from Yuffie's chest was instant and he had to slap his hand over her mouth in panic. Reno wondered briefly if he was going to get fired if he was found, although he doubted Rufus would let him go simply because of this. He had done worse before. But he could imagine Tseng and Rufus' disappointed look in their faces and he _hated_ it.

He glared at approximately where her eyes were. "Shut _up,_ Kisaragi."

He could still feel her body shaking from laughter and he shook his head in disbelief. How did she manage to get her shit together and complete missions?

A sudden dampness and warmth in the center of his palm caused him to draw his hand. "What the _fuck?_ Did you just _lick_ my hand?"

She was wheezing with silent laughter and he couldn't understand what the hell was so funny.

Grimacing, he wiped his hand down on his pants. "If you don't shut up, I'm gonna shut you up."

"I'm... trying… not…" she breathed loudly as she tried to control her giggles.

He lowered his mouth onto hers firmly and deep down, he knew he was just using this as an excuse to kiss her. 

Except he had missed and gotten her cheek instead. 

She froze abruptly.

He pulled back slightly before he felt her tug his face down unexpectedly and press her lips against his longingly. He held back a groan as her tongue flicked out to lick his lips shyly and he parted her mouth with his tongue. One of his hands threaded itself into her hair, pulling her close.

Her small breathless moan stopped him in his tracks.

He pulled away as he tried to concentrate on his surroundings but all he could focus on was the sound of their heavy breathing and the sound of his own blood pumping in his ear.

And then he remembered where the hell they were.

Yuffie had tucked her head under his chin and he tried to calm down his breathing.

Fuck.

What the hell was she doing to him?

The sudden sound of the shower turning on could be heard and Reno relaxed slightly. He cleared his throat and hoped his voice wasn't too raspy when he spoke. "Let’s go."

She nodded without a word.

They managed to get back down to his car without another mishap. He threw the suitcase in the trunk before stepping inside the car.

Yuffie had been abnormally quiet since they had left the closet. He wondered briefly if he should apologize but he wasn't really sure _what_ for. What he _did_ know was that the sudden silence between them didn't sit well with him and he missed the way she filled the silence with her laughter and exuberance. 

The way she filled his _life_ with joy and excitement in the short weeks she had decided to barge into his life.

She was sitting quietly in the passenger seat with her hands clasped tightly together.

"Hey," he said as he squeezed her hands with his. He wasn't sure what to make of her sudden stillness.

She didn't respond for a few moments and it seemed like she was gathering her thoughts. When she finally looked up at him, her trademark impish grin adorned her lips and her dark eyes were glowing in the dim evening light, absolutely enamoured.

He couldn’t remember the last time anyone looked at him like that.

"You're gonna be the death of me, Reno."

His blazing eyes studied the way her lashes curled and the faint pinkish blush on her cheeks. He lifted his hand to her face and as she leaned into his touch, his chest swelled with unanticipated emotions.

"Yuff," he murmured, his languid smirk softening into a lopsided grin. "We're gonna be the death of each other."

She laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah. Hope everyone enjoyed it! Attempted more of a ‘slow burn’ (though not really cause they kissed in every chapter lol) with this fic. But they didn’t jump into bed right away, so success! My mind is toying with a sequel, so we’ll see if it actually goes anywhere. This was a lot of fun to write.
> 
> I’ll also be returning back to work this upcoming week (covid cases are going up where I am, and it’s a somewhat high-risk job D: ). Wish me luck! I’ve got enough written to upload on a weekly schedule and we’ll see how much time I actually have to write now that I’m also juggling a full-time job in addition to adulting. Regardless, thanks to those of you who made my summer by reading and commenting on my writing… I’ve forgotten over the years how much fun fanfiction writing is :)
> 
> As usual, comments and suggestions are very much appreciated!


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